Analyzing Six Bible Translations: Part 6-Ephesians 2:5

Ephesians 2:5

Ephesians 2:5 in Sinaiticus (ca. 4th century)

ESV  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved--

NIV⁸⁴  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.

NIV made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

HCSB  made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

NASB even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

NET  even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ– by grace you are saved!–

Check a: word order of “by grace you have been saved”

Greek word order is different from English word order. English word order is typically subject-verb-object; Greek word order (though somewhat dependent on author) is typically verb-subject-object. This is not for theological reasons, but this is simply the structure of the language. When a translation retains the Greek word order, the English is awkward. When a translation does not retain the Greek word order, an emphasis that the original author may have intended could be lost. This is a great example of what Rabbi Judah (2^nd century rabbi) said: “He who translates a biblical verse literally is a liar, but he who elaborates on it is a blasphemer.” I prefer the English of a translation to be smooth and for emphasis to be lost, rather than an awkward English that could confuse a reader or just seem confusing as to scare off young believers (in age and/or maturity) from reading their Bible. While the ESV, NIV⁸⁴, NIV, NASB, and NET all retain the order of the Greek words, the indirect object (“by grace,” dative case in the Greek) typically follows the verb in English grammar. So “you have been saved by grace” is the preferred order. Only the HCSB did it the preferable way.

Check b: the translation of the periphrastic participle “you have been saved”

The phrase “you have been saved” contains two Greek words that form a periphrastic participle. While this is a perfect periphrastic construction, the translation “you have been” is probably not best. Perfect verbs can emphasize the present results (intensive perfect) or the past action (extensive perfect), as two examples. Daniel Wallace says that the perfect periphrastic construction in Eph 2:5 and 8 “is most likely intensive” and that the KJV translators (who translated it with a present) “apparently recognized that to translate” Eph 2:5 and 8 “with an English perfect would say nothing about the state resulting from the act of being saved.” The ESV, NIV⁸⁴, NIV, and NASB all translate it “you have been,” while the HCSB and the NET have the preferred translation: “you are saved.”

	1-4	5a	5b	sub-total
ESV	7	0	0	7
NIV84	7	0	0	7
NIV	9	0	0	9
HCSB	9	1	1	11
NASB	9	0	0	9
NET	7	0	1	8